BEREA, OHIO -- Baldwin Wallace University has promoted graduate assistant Kevin Phipps, a 2011 graduate of the University, to Assistant Track and Field and Cross Country Coach. The two-sport standout was one of the most celebrated track and field student-athletes in school history.

Following an outstanding playing career in both football and track,Phipps earned a Bachelor of Science degree in exercise science. He spent the 2011-2012 academic year as a graduate assistant to both the football and track teams.  This year, Phipps was focused solely on track, and when former assistant coach and BW graduate Eric Schmuhl accepted the head coaching duties at nearby Case Western Reserve University, BW Head Coach Dr. Bill Taraschke promoted Phipps to be his head assistant for both cross country and track and field.

"Kevin is a solid young man who has both represented the University well as a student-athlete and as an assistant coach," said Taraschke, who is in his 28th season at BW and has won nearly 50 Ohio Athletic Conference titles in cross country and track. "Kevin is extremely knowledgeable about track and field, is an extremely intelligent young man and has a great rapport with our current student-athletes.

"Kevin will mainly focus on the throwing and jumping events, but will have his hands in virtually every aspect of the program," continuedTaraschke.  "We feel promoting him to assistant coach was definitely the right thing to do."

"Kevin Phipps is going to be an outstanding coach and teacher," said fifth-year Athletic Director Kris A. Diaz. "As a student-athlete, he was exceptional and won numerous athletics and academic awards, including earning NCAA Division III All-American honors in track, being All-OAC in both football and track and being selected as our 2011 Outstanding Senior Male Athlete."

FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail atkruple@bw.edu. or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu Fans can access the latest BW athletics information at www.bwyellowjackets.com and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter athttp://twitter.com/bwathletics.